ON Saturday night, the simmering rivalry between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan will finally reach its boiling point. But for both fighters, this clash is about more than just settling a score – it’s about seizing the biggest prize of their careers.
The Irish duo will battle for the vacant IBF welterweight title in front of a near sell-out crowd of 20,000 at Windsor Park, the home of Northern Irish football.
Belfast’s Crocker and Limerick’s Donovan are running it back after their controversial first meeting in March, when Donovan – who had dominated much of the fight – was disqualified in the eighth round. This time, the stakes are higher, the tension sharper, and both men more determined than ever.
At today’s press conference, Donovan and his trainer Andy Lee radiated belief, fuelled by their work in the gym and by how the first fight had unfolded before its chaotic ending.
“It is my time,” Donovan declared. “I’ve worked extremely hard in the gym. I’m looking fantastic and it comes off the training camp we have. Things that we’ve been working on, the way I’m looking in the gym. The confidence is through the roof and you’re going to see Saturday night how good I am.”
When promoter and press conference host Eddie Hearn pressed him on whether Crocker presented a danger, Donovan didn’t hesitate.
“Lewis is a good fighter, I’m not going to take that away from Lewis,” he said. “He does a lot of things good but he makes a lot of mistakes. I just think I can capitalise on the mistakes he makes. I think I’m a better puncher, I’ve got more skill, more heart, I’ve got a better engine – I’m better in every department than Lewis. I just can’t wait to run up on him.”
But while Donovan is brimming with self-belief, the unanswered question from March lingers: can Crocker rebound from what was widely viewed as a flat performance at the SSE Arena?
“The last fight was massive even before the result happened,” Crocker said. “Going into this one it’s the highest stage for both of us. It’s what you get into boxing for and I can’t wait to silence all the doubters.
“I know I’m a much better fighter than what I showed last time. And Saturday, without a doubt, I will be that.”
When asked by Hearn if this was his moment to put everything right, Crocker was emphatic.
“Without a doubt,” he said. “I just feel the stars are aligned for me this time around. Approaching 20,000 for a world title in Belfast. Who would’ve actually dreamt this to happen. Saturday can’t come quick enough. It’s a boyhood dream.”
The predictions were bold. Donovan promised not only victory but total closure.
“I know the way Lewis is, I know the man he is. I know everything about Lewis, I can read him like a book and you’re going to see on Saturday night why I’m a better fighter and why I’m going to become a world champion. And I’m going to put an end to Crocker’s career on Saturday night. I’m going to stop Lewis Crocker.”
Crocker, however, kept it brutally simple.
“I believe I knock Paddy Donovan out without a doubt.”
